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K K I D A Y M O It N I . 0, DECEMBER 13.
HAURISUUflC.il COVtiNTION.
Wc ore happy to nnnonnco thai iho do
liberations of ihia important assemblage
have resulted in n nutninut ion which ap
pears to give universal satisfaction to Iho
friends of reform throughout the country.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, ol
Ohio, anil JOHN TYLIJR, of Virginia,
received tho. unanimous nomination. The
first ballot, stood. 140 for Harrison, 90 for
Clay, and IG for Scott. Tho result being
announced, the question wns again put,
when Harrison rene:vi.d every vote. The
vote for Vice President was unanimous for
Tyler on the first ballot, A patriotic let.
ter was received from Mr Clay, urging
tho convcnlioo to disregard all personal
considerations, and net lor the cause j at
the samo time expressing his own convic.
tion that another than himself was flic
stronger candidate. A similar cnmmuiii.
cation was received from Gen. Scott, which
wo shall publish in doe time.
It is unnccccssnry to say that General
Harrison would not havo been our first
choice. Of all men living wo should pre.
fur loseoMrday President both as a
reward for hi many eminent services, and
for the reason that he is identified with,
and the able, firm arid consistent supporlor
of, all those measures of national policy
with which the prosperity of tho country
must rise or fall. Wo arc,however,saiisficd
with the nomination. Tho Convention had
the means of examining the whole subject,
nnd we have no reason to doubt that they
have acted discreetly. Gen. Harrison,
though not a man of Mr Clays ability, is
yet, equally sound in his political principles
an unostentatious, plain, practical com
mon sense mnn, who, withal has "done the
slate somo service." And, compared po,
Jiticdlly, morally or intellectually, with tho
"mousing gramalkin" who ndmonishes the
people "not to expect too much from the
government, 31 and who seems to perceive
the chief end of government in providing
for ilsel)Q is as far above him as tho
tallest pine is loftier than lowtly thorn
The nomination of Mr Tyler, is a very
good one. He is a mnn of sterling talents
well qualified by lung experience for the
duties of the office, and wi'hal very ppu'
lar in his own Mate, and the south gene
rally.
Let us then, one and all, as with one
heart and one mind, give tho nomination
that prompt, hearty, and ffficeul support, to
which it intrinsic merits eminently entitle
it, and the prostrate business of a misgov
erned nation loudly demands. For one,
we throw our canvass to the brcize with
the fullest assurance of a glorious triumph
tho triumph of patriotism, of reason, of
practical common sense, over passion,
prejudice, and locofucnism.
As we shall in a few days have the official pro
ceedings of the convention at IIarrisbur;;h, wo havo
omitted details for the present. The convention was
composed of 258 members, representinj 23 slates.
James Barbour, of Virginia, picsided, assisted by
thirteen Vice Presidents, and five Secretaries. Its
deliberations were characterised throughout by tho
utmost good feeling; and the division that existed,
was only that of honorable rivalry, and honest difl'er
ence of opinion all of which were readily merged in
the ono gicat catiac.
"congress.
It will be seen that I lie rleik h.is lent himself lo
the fraudulent attempt lo exclude I lie legally re
turned members from New Jersey Horn Hiking
1 lie; r teals. J'he result is ill u five d.iyi Ii.ivr al
ready been spent in fiuiilcsj ailempls at organiza
tion. The House, however Iuj taken iiselfoul of
the Cleik's hand?, assumed i lie ihnracler of
town meeting, and appointed u moderator. Air.
Adams is, of Ml oilier just ihe man for the place
nnd the occasion, and it will he observed that he
liai not omilled to givu lliem the benefit of his
opinion in advance. The loeofos have manifestly
inkena falsejiosition, anJ must lou.-e "round by it.
One thing is certain, the adiiiinisiiaiiun daie not
iruil itself up n a vote of iho It-gill) leniincd mem
bers. Wc have surely an icil at an alarming pass,
if a subordinate officer of the Home, ono vhoe
functions arc purely clerical, can succcrsfully nul
lify the broad seal of a sovereign slalc, and depiive
her of a voice in the decision of the most important
uestion that pertaim lo iho session ; ami for
what 1 why, under pretence that the unsuccessful
candidates, nro not nltogclhcr saiiefied with the
resulis of ill canvass ! Wlnl a burletque.
"Wo understand lhal a number of persons in this
vicinity havo recently been imposed upon by the Wild
cat bills of Michigan, so altered as lo convey to ihu
careless observer tho idea of New Yoik "safety fund"
bills. On Iho bills of both stales, Iho words "New
York (or Michigan) safely fund" encircles tho vi?-
nutlo in a way lu btriko Iho eyo uadily. In the one
before us, a $2 on tho I.aiuuoo Co. Dank, at Palmy-
ra, the word " Michigan" U torn out, leaving " safety
fund" and 'Palmyra' tho prominent features of tho bill;
and it was received by u ralher careful observer in ih'n
jdaeo without dctecliun. As a number of these bills
aro in circulation, pcoplo bhould bo on their guard
against this and similar impositions.
Wo aro obliged to devote a large space
to tho revised Laws, and shall bo under
tho same necessity for a week or two to
come. As these laws aro now in force,
it in important that the pcoplo should
know what thny arc.
COMMUNICATIONS.
Mr. Ilditor 1 observe in your last paper that a
Director of tho Mutual, under date of tho 3.1 Inst, has
replied to my communication of the COlh tilt, in which
he attempts to divert public attention from iho Com
pany and fi it upon mo, charging mo as a defaulter.
A Director being in tovvn who received tho money
from mo in October to pay my assessments has sinco
informed mo of ils faithful application. In iho face of
this, I am accused in the public prints of neglecting to
pay my assessments, and that by ono who signs him
self a Director. Tho writer says, " the directors aro
not aware of any paper under protest, except, as lliey
suppose, in I'urlinginn." I suppose then tho public
notaries havo not notified tho directors of the protest
of their paper, and not, as tho writer from tho tenor
of thi? extract would serin lo wish mo lo suppose, that
their paper elscwhero is all paid. If tho gentleman
had said that the directors were not awaro of any debts
eccpt ten or twelve thousand dollars in tho county of
Chittenden, ho would havo been more explicit. As it
is, tho public aro told that the leputablo board at tho
Mutual Office hail given a decided preference to tho
sufferers by firo in other counties over those of tho
county of Chittenden. Tho losses in other counties,
we aro told from tho Mutual office, have been paid,
and Ihoso in this coauty aro left unpaid. Why is this
partiality ? Tho writer further states that every exer
tion has been mado nnd is making by tho Directors to
collect tho balance of assessments, and adds, that "it
is no cay matter to collect 3 IG.CCO from over twen
ty thousand different persons." But is it not to tic
expected that persons who have property lo insure
would have the means of raising so small a sum a the
assessment in the course of thirty days from Iho time
the notice was given for tho assessment to bo paid?
and that nearly Iho whole would avail themselves of
tho opportunity offered by their town representatives
to forward the money? If eight or ten thousand out
of Iho twenty thousand aro defaulters, and the direc
tors have no power to enforce the collections in two or
three months, then in my opinion tho institution is not
that useful and valuable ono that I havo supposed it
to bo. The company has been several years in ope
ration, and tho directors havo had somo experience,
and as they do not always pay in three months accor
ding to tho charter, they should have mado their paper
payable so far ahead that they could meet it. It is no
small mattei to ono who stands upon his credit, to
havo his nolo protested, in consequence of the ncgli
genco of the Mutual, and bo obliged to raise tho mon
ey on short notice. one of tiio i.suitF.D.
Mr. Editor Sir: In your last you havo a second
communication respecting the Mutual Insurance Co.
Permit me to ask tho writer, who seems quite self
satisfied with his situation as "another of the insured,'
a question or two. Are you aware, sir, that in years
past the officers of the mutual Insurance Company havo
borrowed money on the credit of tho company, at
highly usurious interest? Docs this course speak in
favor of the soundness of the institution? If you
should lose your buildings by fire, and the company
refuse to pay tho loss, how would you enforce tho
payment ? they having no property to attach. Aro
not all niUVrur's nr-.tinlly dependant upon tho msi'O
sition of the officers to pay their losses? Did vou
witness tho dissatisfaction existing in tho members of
tho company present at the annual meeting, at the
maancr in which they wero treated? Why, if tho
company gives satisfaction, was a new company got
up in Rutland County, and another asked for in Cale
donia County? It appears to me, Mr. Editor that a
consideration of all, or a part only, of the above ques
tions, would make it in no wise uncertain whether ho
that confides in tho Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance
Company, or ho that distrusts it affords the strongest
manifestations of a ''thick skull."
still ANornr.i; or the ixstntr.n.
FEMALE SEMINARY.
Wo aro requested by tho trustees of tho Female
Seminary to state, thai MissGnnKX, tho Principal,
having obtained leave of absence fur a s,hort time for
Iho benefit ofher health, the school will bo continued
during her absence, as usual, and they feel tho most
perfect confidence in assuring tho public that implicit
trust may bo placed in tho competence, skill, and fidel
ity of ihose in whoso hands tho chargo of instruction
has been intrusted,
Tho flaro up at Washington has' killed all calcula
tion, and we might almost say interest, aboutjho mes
sage. There is danger of its spoiling before tho Pres
ident has an opportunity lo deliver it to both Housed.
The Philadelphia United States Gazette
states that M ichaol L Israel, cashier of
the Western Bank, had shot himself in the
head, and was not expected to survive,
He perpetrate J the act on the Jersey shore,
aod thou returned to Philadelphia, and
was met walking unconsciously about the
streets. U is not expected that ho will
survive.
The directors of the Western Dank an
nounce os tho result of a full examina
tion, that all was right with the Rank, ex'
cepl 12,000 missing from tho cashier's
fund. For this amount hid sureties are
ample.
Pnt rtiKciKs rui.Kii.i.K.n Locofocoism
Tin i'.m I'll ant, Suffer mo, Mr. Ldilor, m
the columns of your paper, to say to all,
whether men or women. Locofocos or
Whigs, whether at tho White IIousu at
Washington or at tho Hermitage, that if
they will como to our town, they can wit
ness, yea leel tho eilocts of Locofocoism,
for we nro right in the midst of tho glori
ous perish-credit, perish commerce, perish
munufiiduring, slop working, stop-caling,
uellcr currency system, auu we havo not Ming
under heaven lo do hut eland still and look
at its beauties. If ever prophecy was lit
erally fulfilled to tho letter, it is in our
cnu, for we arc completely prostrated by
experiments upon the currency. A few
days since ono of our most enterprising
men, with ample meain, but unavailable on
account of the currency, had lo suspend,
another soon followed in his footsteps.
Three of our Woolen Mills, and ono Cotton
Nill, have already shut down their gates,
and moro very probably will soon follow.
Tim lliinrr vunrtli In n linnm Mnmnnnn.
(Hartford Couront
OPENING OP THE TWENTY-SIXTH
CONGRHSS.
Washington, Dec. '2. This anxiously
expected day, tho opening of tho twenty
sixth emigres, looked forward to with so
much interest by tho politician ami the
lover ol peace nnd order, has passed over I
with n pacific dulness, as disappoiiilming lo
tho former ns it must prove gratifying to
tho latter class of our fellow citizens. All
tho dark forebodings and hints of tho tur
bulenco expected to mark the very first
proceedings of Congress, have happily thus
far proved groundless, and ended in smoke
or what is about as material, in breath,
in tho shape of a long debate. Whether
subsequent silting? will belio Iho pacific
promise of today's work is uncertain, but
I can hardly believe that such will ho Iho
case'
It is seldom that fucIi a dense throng is
seen crowding to tho Capitol, ns was ex.
dibit cd this morning. In spite of tho low
ering appearance of the sky overcast,
like I ho political horizon n hrillaiit turn
out of tho softer sex was intermingled with,
the snmbro groups of creation's lords that
lined Pennsylvania Avanuo, while addition
al animation was given to tho scene by
tho successive troops of tho yeomanry
from tho ndjaccnt counties, tccoulrod
with blnnket-coala and bespattered with
mud, who dashed along with the fashionable
equipages toward tho scene of tho "lour
nn mi'tit." Tho scene in the House of
Representatives, its naileries and lobbies,
defies description. By ten o'clock, every
particle of room in the latter was crowded
to excess. Ntnetenths of tho assembled
multitude, 1 am sure, expected a regular
row in the llnrrishurgh style for the ques
tion in every one's mouth wa3 mostly to
that effect.
The Representatives, contrary In cus.
loin, wore nearly all assembled by eleven
o'clock, which gave the iloor nn appear
anco of extraordinary interest.--There
were old friends exchanging congratula
tions on meeting oncu more, new members
gazing round with mine wonder at the
novelty ofevery thing, first at their fellow
members, then at the dusky semi circle ot
the men's gallery, and then at the brilliant
parterre of beauty in that reserved for the
ladies. There were the noisy salute and
hearty laugh of the "good fellow," and
there the significant nod and subdued whis
per of iho politician. A knot of tho New
Jersey claimants were engaged in earnest
converse here, and there, affording a sin.
gular contrast to the bustling nervous nir
of tho Whig claimants, sat the itnpcrturba
bio Mr.Ingersoll, as quiet and easy in his
seat as if it wero his own.
All this animating confusion wns silen
ced at twelve o'clock by tho clerk of the
last session (Mr, Garland,) calling tho
members, in accordance with previous
custom. When he came to New Jersey,
tho silence of that Hall, so noisy a few
minutes before, was that of the grave.
lie called out the name of Joseph F. Ran
dolph, and then pausing, stated lint the
scats of the remaining members from that
slate were contested, and as that nado a
question unfit for him to decide, he would
if the House so pleased, pass over that
state and go on with the roll.
At this point the progress of Iho immc
diato organization of the House wns stop
ped, by the prolongrd debates that then en
sued upon the question of tho validity of
tho claims of the Whig members lo their
tents.
Mr. Maxwell of New Jersey, one of the
Whig claimants, called for the read ng of
tho evidence touching the matter in the
possession of the clerk. Tho certificate
of Mr Ayrcrigg, another Whig claimant,
signed bv the Governor of New Jersey, and
impressed with the seal of that S'ate; was
then rend. The certificates of the other
Whig members were slated by the clork to
bo the snnio in form.
Mr. Mercer, of Va., wished to follow
up the po-itivc argument of this certificate,
with the law of New Jersey touching elec
tion--. wh'ch he moved to havo read,
but Mr. Vandcrponl, of N. Y., thinking
that its unequivocal language would sound
with nn unpleasant force, rose and moved,
in order to let tho House havo the fuels of
the case before the law was read, that the
evidence of the other claimants should he
first read. Mr. Vandcrponl gave unmis.
takeablc signs to-day of his being n file
leader of Iih party, conjointly with Mr.
Thomas of Indinua. Mr Jenifer followed
Mr- Vandcrponl by putting tho significant
question, whether the evidence on the
other side wns of the same form as that al
ready given to the House. '
A third prt. posit ion was now thrown ho
fore the House, io the slinpo of a motion
by Mr. Rives of Vn. to lay iho subject on
the table, until tho call of the roll was
completed.
Tho knotty points of the question now
became enlarged at each word spoken, and
the discussion irregulnr. when Mr Holl'mmi
of New Voik, got Iho floor, und briefly
and eloquently contended that the certifi
cale alone gnvc a member a perfect right
to b! called.
Mr llalstcd, of New Jersey, another ol
the whig claimants, mndo an eloquent ex
position of the claims of himself nod whig
colleagues to the seat 'Peking the ground
assumed by Mr Huffman, ho expressed hi
porfecljwillwgness to be passed over in Iho
call, did tho evidence of tho opposing claim
ants bear the authentic seal of New Jersey,
Otherwise he would nut consent so havo
her degraded from tho list of other states
lo have one of tho old thirteen stars bint
ted out ; but would insist upon having
acknowledged, as prima facie evidence to
his rights, the broad solemn seal uf New
Jersey.
Mr llalstcd went into n masterly exam
ination of Iho constitutional arguments, to
familiar to flic country, through tho discus
sion uf tho press.
It woro endless to notico in detail tho
progress of the debate, which wns shared
by several eminent speakers. Tho views
and arguments, already noticed, wero
much repealed, and indeed the discussion
wns exceedingly tedious, excepting when
Messrs. Riddle nnd Sergeant of Pennsyl
vania had tho floor. Roth these gentle
man placed in strung I'ght before tho clerk
that the only honorable course for him to
havo pursued, if conscious that tho Whig
certificates were conformabla to law, (and
wero they not strictly so ?) wob to call Ihoir
names, and if in doubt an to the validity of
their claims, why then nsk udvico of Iho
Ileus?.
Mr Biddlo look occasion to comment
severely on tho privilege lodged in the
hands of tho clerk at. the opening nfn
Congress, He had Iho power in pass over
n member, disfranchise a slate simply be
cnusQ his seat was disputed. What tin
nnnrinous precedent was this for tho set
tlcment of similar contests in fulf.ro.
The discussion was prolonged until the
hour of adjournment, nt four o'clock, which
took plnco without any nciion h.'ing taken
on the several dropostlioiis belorc the
House.
Thero is every rensnn lo bolicvo that
several days will be consumed in carrying
on Inlk upon tho subject. Its paramount
interest hm I brown iho question of the
spnnkoiship for tho time, into tho shade,
Tho Sennto exhibited a remarkable con
trast to iho House to-day, every thing in
it being carried on in quietness and order.
1 htrty.six benalors woro utcscpt. i he
only proceedmgs of interest wore swearing
in of Messrs Belts of Connecticut, White
of Tennessee, and Tnppan of Ohio. The
other business was simply in the wny of
organization, and the Senate adiourned at
an early hour.
Most of Tuesday, Wednesday andThurs
day were spent in debating this question,
without any other result than leaving tho
matter in worse confusion than they found
it Monday We cannot of course attempt
to follow the discussion in all ils tortuous
windings. Tho debate took a wide range,
and wns prosecuted with considerable
spirit, though in a rnthcr commendable
tone. It was late on Thursdoy, when
Mr. Adams rose and said :
Fellow citizens, and members elect of
the 2Gth Congress I address myself to
you, and not to Iho Clork in the chair
under n painful sense of my own duty. The
clork in t he performance of an official doty
assigned to him by the laws and the con
stitution of the United States, commenced
reading the roll of the members hero as
sembled for the purpose of constituting tho
House of Representatives of the'JGth Con
gress. After calling tho roll, commencing
with tho State of Maine, until he came to
the State of New Jersey, and the mem
bers whoso names had been called, having
answered, ascertaining their presence here,
he pnusfeil, nfter calling one of the names
from New Jersey, nnd slated to the house
that of the five oilier members from that
state, the seats were contested ; that he,
deeming himself not authorized lo decide
which of the two parties of five members
were entitled to seats, must refer the mat
ter lo tho decision of tho Hotiso, ho again
in the discharge of a solemn duty, declared
he could put no question until the house
was organized.
Now, follow citizens, I am reduced to
the necessity of appealing to you. The
Clerk lias snid that he will not proceed in
tho call, according to established usage
and custom. He has refcred the question
to a tmjonty of the house, and then he re
fuses to put to this body that or any other
question, with tho exception that, upon
further consideration, and having in tho
interim consulted tho constitution of the
United Stales, he discovered yesterday
that he might put the qoesticn of adjourn
tnent. Ho, therefore, put it; but he gave
notice that he should put no other ques ion.
Fellow citizens, in what a predicament
are we thus plnced ? Wo are fixed as
firmly and4as immoteibly as thcfecolumns
around the house. We can neither go for
ward nor backward, and the clerk tells us
that will pcri-Ut in both tho decisions he
has made. What then is our position ?
I havo waited here four days, for wo are
now drawing to the conclusion of the fourth
day, with a fixed determination not to en
ter into this controversy. It was my in
tention not to have said ono word on tho
subject. At the last srssioo of the last
Congress, foreseeing thai the vorv case
which has now occurred would nrisc, I
offered a resolution with the design of
preventing such an occoircncc. It was
not the pleasure of tho House to consider
it ; and, therefore, as well ns for other
reasons, I determined to say nothing ; and
I should have persisted in that dotertninn
Hon if I had not seen that, under thrso
two decisions of the Clerk, it would bo im
po-ijihle nay, that the House might meet
and stay hero till doomsday, and nntbenblc
to organize. This is our position. Now
it seems to mo a very extraordinary state
of things. Hero is a body of men assem
bled lo repre.-cnt the people, and n more
full and complete representation of tho
people of the United Slates never did as
semble, and, probably, never will again
within these walls. Hero we are, and ns
n final inducement for in a lo nddrcss this
House, hero we are also under tho injunc
tion of solemn dulios.
The Clerk told us ho acted under the
conviction uf duty, I concede tho point.
Ha has acted and ho has pronounced his
two deciions under the conviciton of
solemn duty. I do not question even whe
ther that sense of duly was correctly
applied in his two decisions, but I say that
wc are placed in n position, and that wc
havu soluuinduties too.
What is tho first? 'Po organize ;to
organizo in some form or other, If there
is difficulty in relation lo any portion of us
wc must do what Mr. Jtfl'ersoii said was
dona when Lord Dunmorc dissolved tho
Legislature of Virginia on a sudden.
What did thoy do ? They adjourned to a
tavern, they constituted themselves a Con
vention, and they acted as the Legislature
of t.'ie Stato or Colony. They actually,
instead of being assembled in tho place
from which (tho act of tho Gov
ernor had excluded them, adjnuoncd to
another place, formed themselves into a
convention, and there acted in the namo
of ihu State. This was irregular. Well,
I think that on tho fourth day of tho ses
sion of tho 26th Congress that is to bo, if
we ever get organized, it is rather lato to
malto objections on tho score of irregular
ity. I address myself to you, thereforo.
I call upon you, in tho namo of tho Pcoplo
to organizo ; for you havo not only duties
to perform, but you aro under a high res
ponsibility to ihu pcoplo to perform that
duly, Organize. When you havo done
that, you can undoubtedly take n question
as heretofore. 1 now call upon tho whole
House to discharge that duty, and, in the
discharge of my duly, most reluctantly
performed, I call upon the majority, that
majority which has the power, to organize
the House.
Follow-citizen. wo havo boon recently
told, in the olficinl organ of tho present
Administration, that there is n majority of
t lie Hotifo, without the members of Now
Jcreoy, or counling them ns adverse,
to Ihc Administration. And not. only has
Iho official orgno slated this fact, but. it
has given tho precise number of that ma
jority ns one hundred nnd twenty one!
Now, I call upon thofo 121 members to
organize the House. I call upon tlmm, in
the name of their country I will not 6av
in the name of tho Administration, for I
have no right lo speak in their name but
I call upon t tint majority, in Ihu name
of that interns', and policy which thny think
is the interest and policy of iheir country
to organize; nnd I oiler In the assembly
tho following resolution a resolution
which lies on the tnblo of your Clerk, but
which, like many others, is there in the,
limbo of vanity nnd paradise of fools hc
causo the clerk has repeatedly said that he
will not put Iho question. A member, n
friend of mine from Kentucky, (Mr Under
wood) this morning offered another resolu
tion, and there are a number on tho table
which may go to the end of lime nnd lie oo
the table, for tho clerk says he will not put
tho question to nny ono of them. We
cannot control the clerk ; he is here a des
pot. m bo lino noted, nnd oo bo Will act.
unless you by that native power which
you possess from tho people of the United
Slates set aside all Ins decisions and act
for yourselves.
I commenced this address to you, fellow
citizens, with a declaration Hint I should
bo tinder the painful necessity ofnppenling
from the decision of the clerk lo the house,
and I call upon the house and the majority
of tho house lo set aside entirely his decis
ions, nnd to act for themselves. I have
no doubt of their power to do it. There,
fore in submitting this opposition, I havo
no reference to the clerk, nor to any opin
ion of his.
I propose that the houso itself should
act. It may, if it pleases, choose a tern
porary clerk. It may take what course it
think proper. I put this matter to the
house, and to tho majority of Ihc house,
and I tell them that it is their duty to or.
gainzo tlieniselvcs, am' that no decision of
the clerk can force upon them the organi
zation of the house in any manner he may
think proper. It is in the power of the
house to set the clerk aside; hut it is not
in the power of the house to obey his dic
tates, despotic ns he is determined they
shall be. The house is not under iho ne
cessity of submitting to them, and I call
upon you to set him aside. I speak not
personally towtrd him; I speak of his acts
and of the situation in which he has placed
the house a situation in which it is im
possible for them to act. s" long as his
decisions stand. If he had taken a ques
tion on the resolution which was drawn
up by a gentleman from Kentucky. Mr
Graves, and laid on Ihc tnhle, nnd which I
have now brought before the house, I
should not have spoken. Rut one by one.
these resolutions have been laid on tho
table. They ought as well be put in the
fire. Tho clork tells us ho cannot put
the question upon them that it is the die
tate of his duiy. I hope lo have no more
of the benefit of his agency, nt least until
he has gone through tho process of re
election. I repeat, I offer ihia resolution
in its present form ; it is not u ine origin
ally, but. it answers my purpose, and it will
i tltuct the organization of tho house. That
j is all I ask ; and appealing to this body
now, as an independent body, n bndy
possessing pnwers entirely independent of
tho clerk, I call upon thrin to tct upon Ihe
resolution in such a manner as they may
choose. Any member may propose an
amendment ; and those who think that the
call of the New Jersey members ought not
i to be made, can propose an amendment to
I set a-iilelhnsc members. Let us see what
the will of the majority is. The clerk has
rendered it impossible for us lo do so in
the usual wny.
In the first place I call upon yon, in the
name of the people of the United States to
save them from In-in tho evil, nnd I may
add, the discredit of our being hero a
whole week, and perhaps a whole month,
without organ z iMon : I call upon you in
the naiuoof tin- iiei.pleof the United Slates,
that people, lown'ds whom we havo had
so many wnntkrl-i' manifrsinl inns of regard
and afl'eclion. W hat will ihev sny ? Whnt
will your consiitio ills say ? What will my
constituents say lo me, far suffering this
house to wasln four days in idle, u-eless
debate, when the first of Us duties was to
orgntuze, ami at n time when it wns i-n.
possible to organize, without n resort to
some exlriordioary measure ? Fellow cit.
izens, I am willing Hint the clerk under his
sonso of duty shouUI be held respousi.
hie lo Iho pcop'o for four days wasietl in
idle debate. I do not say idle because
there has been no good scno, or wisdom,
or reasoning in the arguments, but because
none of them cainu to iho one great point,
that is, to Ihc actual, practical organ. zilinu
of the house. That was our duly tint to
be debating here, for four days, idle ques
tions, which the dictator in that chair said
ho would never put. I say ho is respousi.
hie for I hat. I wish ho may answer the
People of the United Stntes how ho lias
wasted Ihcse four days. But I now say,
from this time forward, tho House the
majority oflho Hoiiteand I go further,
and say, tho 121 members who havo been
set down in the organ of the administration
ns the majority of that Administration, are
responsible to tho People nnd to the conn,
try, and lo mankind, for any further
delay. If any one, as I have said, thinks
proper to mnvo an nmeiidment requiring
tho Clork to omit the members from New
Jersey
Mr Vandcrponl hero interposed, and
said ho had such an amendment to pro
pose. Lnutl cries of "order."
Mr Adams resumed. The gentleman, if
ho thinks proper, can proposo it after I
havo made tho few remarks 1 havo yet to
offer. If thero is a majority of tho House
determined lo set astdo tho tivo members
from New Jersey who have produced their
credeutiols nt Iho tabic credentials pre
cisely similar to those of other members
who huve been called in this House, and to
say thoy shall nol bo permitted to vote, say
o, say so, Lcttlic majority say sn, and
they nre responsible lo iho Pcoplo and to
the world of mankind for that, decision. In
tny private opinion I belicvi that it is tho
rights of the people of N. Jersey that oro
at stake here. I pay nothing of Slate sov.
ereignty or the Governor, but of the peo
ple. These five men como hero with tho
authority required by the Constitution and
law. declaring tlioui'olves Representatives
of tlio people of New Jersey: ami tho
Constitution and tho laws oflho U. States,
and tho laws of tho State of New Jersey,
hnvo said that no oilier evidence shall bo
received of the will of the People. That
ii tho fvidenco, and Iho only evidence,
that has been presented. Now, that being
so. these gentlemen come here nnd present
it. You havo nlrrady received ono member
presenting it. If you refuse the five other
having the same evidence, it is not tho
members whom you turn out of this houso
and refuse (o nilow to vote it. is not Ihcm
whom you outrage it. is the sovereign
People of the Slnte of Now Jersey whom
they represent. Whatever may bo the
ultimate determination of the House, hero
nre men coming here under tho form pro
scribed by the Constitutino nnd tho Lnwo
for tnio Representatives of tho Stalo of
New Jersey, in whom tho rights of tho
People ol that siato aro vested; and you
cannot deprive lliem of that right without
outraging the rights of the People of New
Jersey. In their persons is vested Ihrs
right nf tho People of Now Jersey to bo
represented; and il you sny that it is not
so, that they shall not be received; it ia
the Pcoplo of New Jersey whom vou thus
do
privc of five sixths of lb eir repiesflnt nl inn.
Now, I have heard much of this respect
for tho right of tho People of this Con.
tempt for the signature of n Governor of
a State, and of her Council nnd I hnva
heard il said that hero is a conflict between
the rights of tho People nnd the nets of tho
Governor nnd Council. Why, the Gov
ernor and Council are themselves the rep.
resenlalives of the People of New Jersey:
and what constitutes n remarkable answer
to this appeal lo the rights of the Peoplr
is, that long after this election had takr
place long after Iho exercise ot iho a
thority by which this commission was givr
the Pcoplo of New Jersey hnve ber
called lo pronounce upon ihi vpry act, nn
have reelected Hint very Governor an
that very Council by whom the certificat
was given. 'Phis remark produced mucl
sensation in the House, and Mr Adams,
proceeded :
Wny. then, nro the rights of the People
outraged ? How arc they to be respected?
I respect tho rights of the People in those
who come here with that official document,
which is Iho ooly ono in which their will i
manifested. If you say they shn 1 1 nut.
vote, it is the People whom you outrage.
You take away from the People, thus rep
resented by persons presenting documents
to show that tbey arc tho People's Repre.
sentatives you lako nwny the right of five
sixths of them to vote. And it struck ma
ns strange that my honorable friend Mr
Vanderpool who proposes to offer an
amendment, in his appeal lo the House
about the rights of Ihe People, sacrifices
their rights and takes away their rcpreen.
Intion because, if the members of New
Jersey aro not called, ihc i'tinplc uf New
Jersey will not be represented.
They will hove no voice whatever on the
nil-important question on which vve are to
vote, fur so I judge it to bo from tho full
attendance wiiicli wc find. At all events,
that voice will bo suppressed in the tate of
five sixths. This bnnst of friendship appears
to tne like something I havo rtad ot in tho
good book as occurring hoi wren two per
sons, where one approaching Ihe oilier
with a smiling face said "Art thou in health
my brother ?'' nnd immediately gnvu linn
a slab under the fifth rib. Tin- is preci.
ely the frieue-hip of the gentleman from
New York. He p'opo-es, ns an evidence
nfhisrspect fur the People, lo deprive
them of five-sixth of their representation.
Now, the inauife-iaiiniis of love and ntTec
tion nre various, and different in different
individuals. I do protess to have as much
respect for the righ's of tho Peop'e ns the
gent lemon from New York, who I under
stand, is to be one of the lenders of this
House, and of whom, therefore, I speak
with great respect and deference. H's
mode of protecting the rights of the Peoplu
is to lake away five-sixths of Iheir repre
sentation in ono of the most important
transactions that this House could perform.
My mode consists in letting them havo
their own; ami as lliey cannot have n
double representation, because tho Consit
tutinn will not alio it, 1 give them a re
presentation in those pers, ns won havo
the evidence which iho People themselves
have declared should bo the only evidence
to show whnt their will is.
These are the reasons why I hnve offered
tho resolution which lays on the Cleik's
table.
Mr. A. was hero interrupted by much
confusion, nnd tho intermingling of ninny
voices, deinnnding"llowshalI the question
bo tint who will pot the question .'"
Mr. Adams whose voice reached the
enr of the Reporter above the tumuli, "I
intend to put the question myself."
Follow cihzcns, I now wall to see what
amendment shall be proposed to the reso
lotion. Afler that , as I have said, I pro
pose, from the necessiiy of the case, lo put
the question myself; because I protest
against the Clerk being addressed nt nil.
I appeal to the House I nppenl to a body
possessing the power to act -I appeal to a
majority of tho House.
The debalo wns continued by several
members, when Mr. Rhctt moved that
Lewis Williams, the oldest member of the
House, lake tho chair. Williams declined.
Whereupon Mr. R. moved that John
Q,uincy Adams lake the chair, ns modera
tor, and, himself putting the question to
the House, it was decided in the nfiirmn
tive, and Mr, Adams was conducted to
tho chair. 'J'he House soon afler adjourned
Tho next day, Friday, was again consumed
in debate, without coining to any practical
rerun. In the courao of the difcus-ion,
however, a preliminary vote was called for,
which wns about to he taken, when iho
M T ... . I. ...
Ilia chair deemed mat tno nicmuc